Former Sears worker Vera Pilipovic says she's not applying for theemployee hardship fund because she'll just have to give the moneyright back with a cut to her employment insurance benefits. (VeraPilipovic)724 commentsLaid-off Sears Canada workers say the hardship fund set up to helpthem is pointless because any payout counts as income, so it'sdeducted from their employment insurance benefits."You have to give it back. We are getting absolutely nothing," saysVera Asselin, a former inventory analyst at the company's head officein Toronto."It's a complete joke."Asselin worked for Sears for 33 years and was laid off when thecash-strapped retailer became insolvent in June. She received noseverance or termination pay and her benefits were immediately cutoff.Sears Canada employee hardship fund missing $ 200K'Sears is doomed': Why former execs doubt retailer can surviveThat left Asselin in the lurch because she was the only one in herfamily with employee benefits. To help make ends meet, she applied forthe hardship fund to cover the cost of expensive medications neededfor her family.She was accepted, but then was dismayed to discover she must reportthe money as income because she's collecting EI."Whatever's being given to me in the hardship fund is only going to bededucted, so at the end of the day, it's a dollar for a dollar," shesays."I'm not any ahead. I'm disappointed, I'm angry, I'm frustrated overthis whole situation."Hardship fund woesSears Canada has laid off more than 3,000 employees without severanceor extended benefits since the company received court protection fromits creditors.Lawyers representing the employees fought for the hardship fund, whichSears agreed to in August.

Sears executive chairman Brandon Stranzl had pledged to donate thefunds entire amount of $500,000, according to the law firmrepresenting employees. (CBC)Eligible recipients typically get up to $1,200 a week for eight weeks.Sears executive chairman Brandon Stranzl had pledged to donate thefund's entire amount of $500,000, according to Ursel Phillips FellowsHopkinson, the law firm representing Sears employees.So far, Stranzl has only contributed $300,000, and just 22 people haveapplied for the fund.Rosa D'Alessandro, a Toronto-based Sears sales manager who lost herjob in March, says people are scared to apply because they don't wanttheir EI clawed back."They've already lost their packages, their jobs, they've losteverything."

Former Sears worker Rosa DAlessandro says people are afraid to applyfor the hardship fund because it will reduce their EI benefits. (RosaDAlessandro)Vera Pilipovic, 58, says she can't afford the $4,000 worth of dentalwork she needs to replace a cracked bridge. But the laid-off Searsinventory analyst from Toronto decided that applying for the hardshipfund is a waste of time. So she has put off the dental work until shefinds another job."[It's] awful," she says. "Like seriously, not getting a single pennyafter we were laid off, this is ridiculous."Just call it a 'grant'Employment and Social Development Canada, which oversees ServiceCanada, told CBC News the hardship fund payments are considered thesame as severance pay. That means recipients must report it and it mayreduce their EI benefits.Lawyer Susan Ursel, who represents the employees, says she's indiscussions with the federal government to hammer out a solution.Service Canada simply needs to recognize the fund payments as "reliefgrants," which don't have to be declared as income for EI recipients,she says."It is almost unbelievable that in the current situation where thismoney is available to relieve against hardships that EI would beclawing this money away from people."

Sears Canada recently announced its closing 11 more stores and layingoff about 1,200 more workers. (CBC)Meanwhile, the number of laid-off employees in need of help may soonballoon. This week, Sears Canada got court approval to close 11 morestores, which means about 1,200 more workers will lose their jobs.About 10,000 more employees will also be out of work if Stranzl's bidto buy Sears Canada falls through and the retailer begins totalliquidation.And unless the rules change, many laid-off workers will continue tosee the hardship fund as just another hardship for them as theretailer struggles for survival."We're basically being stepped on left, right and centre," Asselinsays. "We are getting absolutely nothing."========================================================================================================================Of course the executives gave themselves bonuses. I continue toboycott Sears.

Post by Greg Carr========================================================================================================================Of course the executives gave themselves bonuses. I continue toboycott Sears.---This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.http://www.avg.com

I thought you supported the Conservative Party of big business?You sound like an NDPer.

https://www.ndp.ca/news/ndp-sears-must-pay-workers-instead-bonuses

NDP: Sears must pay workers instead of bonuses

OTTAWA – New Democrats are calling on Sears Canada to halt bonuses forexecutives and instead pay the severance due to laid-off workers.Consecutive Conservative and Liberal governments have failed to fix thelegislation that allows companies like Sears to pay top executives abonus instead of paying severance due to workers when facing bankruptcy.

--> “This is shameful and obscene. How does Sears justify payingperformance bonuses to top executives of a company that is filing forbankruptcy?” asked Scott Duvall, NDP Pensions Critic. “That money shouldbe going to the thousands of workers who have just lost their jobs.” <--

Sears Canada will pay $7.6 million in bonuses to 43 executives while2,900 employees are laid off without severance. Like other largemultinational corporations, Sears is permitted under Canada’s bankruptcylaws, to pay big bonuses to their executives instead of being forced topay severance of the workers the company has laid-off.

--> “This government loves to talk about the middle class but time andagain they put corporations first and then ask Canadian workers tosettle for less. That’s unacceptable,” added Karine Trudel, NDP DeputyLabour Critic. “Canadians can count on New Democrats to keep fighting sothat corporations can’t steal the severances their workers haveearned.”<--

Post by Greg Carr======================================================================================================================== Of course theexecutives gave themselves bonuses. I continue to boycott Sears.---This email has been checked for viruses by AVG.http://www.avg.com

I thought you supported the Conservative Party of big business?You sound like an NDPer.https://www.ndp.ca/news/ndp-sears-must-pay-workers-instead-bonusesNDP: Sears must pay workers instead of bonusesOTTAWA â New Democrats are calling on Sears Canada to halt bonusesfor executives and instead pay the severance due to laid-off workers.Consecutive Conservative and Liberal governments have failed to fixthe legislation that allows companies like Sears to pay top executivesa bonus instead of paying severance due to workers when facingbankruptcy.--> âThis is shameful and obscene. How does Sears justify payingperformance bonuses to top executives of a company that is filing forbankruptcy?â asked Scott Duvall, NDP Pensions Critic. âThat moneyshould be going to the thousands of workers who have just lost theirjobs.â <--Sears Canada will pay $7.6 million in bonuses to 43 executives while2,900 employees are laid off without severance. Like other largemultinational corporations, Sears is permitted under Canadaâsbankruptcy laws, to pay big bonuses to their executives instead ofbeing forced to pay severance of the workers the company has laid-off.--> âThis government loves to talk about the middle class but timeand again they put corporations first and then ask Canadian workers tosettle for less. Thatâs unacceptable,â added Karine Trudel, NDPDeputy Labour Critic. âCanadians can count on New Democrats to keepfighting so that corporations canât steal the severances theirworkers have earned.â<--

The liberals are on a tear to get as much money off the middle class as possible. Armies of tax analysts are scouring records for any instance of opportunity to grab-back money. Particularly odious is the upcoming increase in taxes to small business, which has been hit hard already by the decline of the retail sector.Still think electing them was a good idea, sheep?

Post by Liberals are VERMIN!The liberals are on a tear to get as much money off the middle class aspossible. Armies of tax analysts are scouring records for any instanceof opportunity to grab-back money. Particularly odious is the upcomingincrease in taxes to small business, which has been hit hard already bythe decline of the retail sector.Still think electing them was a good idea, sheep?

Post by Liberals are VERMIN!The liberals are on a tear to get as much money off the middle class as possible. Armies of tax analysts are scouring records for any instance of opportunity to grab-back money. Particularly odious is the upcoming increase in taxes to small business, which has been hit hard already by the decline of the retail sector.Still think electing them was a good idea, sheep?

The tax was explained on the news.It is closing a loophole. It will affect people making more than $90,000per year or the top 5%.

Post by Liberals are VERMIN!The liberals are on a tear to get as much money off the middle class as possible. Armies of tax analysts are scouring records for any instance of opportunity to grab-back money. Particularly odious is the upcoming increase in taxes to small business, which has been hit hard already by the decline of the retail sector.Still think electing them was a good idea, sheep?

The tax was explained on the news.It is closing a loophole. It will affect people making more than $90,000per year or the top 5%.

$90k a year is not much money if you own a business, in fact, it's very, very small, given costs.

Post by Liberals are VERMIN!The liberals are on a tear to get as much money off the middle class as possible. Armies of tax analysts are scouring records for any instance of opportunity to grab-back money. Particularly odious is the upcoming increase in taxes to small business, which has been hit hard already by the decline of the retail sector.Still think electing them was a good idea, sheep?

The tax was explained on the news.It is closing a loophole. It will affect people making more than $90,000per year or the top 5%.

$90k a year is not much money if you own a business, in fact, it's very, very small, given costs.http://nationalpost.com/news/andrew-coyne-why-the-liberals-proposed-tax-changes-are-taking-a-pounding

The average income is somewhere between $33k - $35k per year. If thosemaking $90k per year are using loopholes to avoid paying tax, the taxshortfall will have to be made up by everyone else.